More painful: No more jokes with classmates, office hours with professors who have become family, library cram sessions with friends or campus meetings for my student ministry.

Most painful: This isn’t temporary for the seniors. This is permanent.

It didn’t feel like luck to me.

It’s a tough time to be a senior

For years, I’ve looked forward to these last few months of college.

It’s a time that should be filled with joy. It should be filled with job searches, tulips on campus, celebrations with friends and family and donning a fancy mortarboard on May 15.

Instead, it is filled with a pain I didn’t want. It’s a pain that is withholding the usual joy that fills my springtime.

This pain is grief

A week after COVID-19 flipped my senior year upside down, I read an article that defined this pain and discomfort as grief.

“If we can name it, perhaps we can manage it,” writes Scott Berinato, the author of the Harvard Business Review article.

Naming my pain as grief has helped me get through the loss of my senior spring. It has validated my sadness and anger at a situation I can’t control.

It has also reminded me that healing is possible.

Together as Bears

My pain is so strong because my love for MSU is even stronger. In these dark times, I can still find bright spots within our campus community.

My professors are checking in with us every day. They are sending articles and videos they think will bring smiles to our faces. They are understanding the toll this crisis may be taking on our learning and our mental health.

Administration and my coworkers in marketing and communications are working day in and day out to bring us updated information and resources. I see their work from the inside, and it’s phenomenal even in a circumstance like this.

I can see my friends’ faces on Zoom. We laugh just as much.

Campus is still blooming. The other day I saw a photo of the tulips outside Carrington.

Hope is still here. I am clinging to it with all I have.

Tulips bloom in front of Carrington Hall.

Healing is not linear

Despite the good, I am still having trouble getting through this.

If there is anything I have learned from grief, it’s that healing is not linear. Loss doesn’t get easier with every passing day. It goes back and forth.

To my fellow senior classmates: Go easy on yourselves. You are experiencing the loss of plans, routine and normalcy. You are grieving the spring semester that can’t be.

I’m looking forward to the day we can celebrate together as the class of 2020, even though it will look different.

Getting there is not going to be easy. You will have good days and bad days.

Treasure the good and learn from the bad. They are both necessary.

Thank you, Missouri State

Early in fall of 2019, I was walking to Siceluff from the Hammons Student Center parking lot. The sunlight was reflecting off bright red and orange leaves, I was listening to music in my headphones and the fountain was rushing with bright blue water.

I stopped in my tracks by the football field and looked around. I started crying.

When I came to Missouri State in 2016, I didn’t think saying goodbye in 2020 would be so difficult, even if we weren’t in a global pandemic.

I didn’t know these four years would shape me into the person I always wanted to be.

I didn’t know I would find friends I love like family. I hadn’t yet experienced a campus and a community that feel like home.

But during that walk to class, I knew I was home.

Missouri State will always be home.

And for that, I am grateful.

A disclaimer

We are in the midst of a global pandemic. Many, many people are struggling with it.

People are in dangerous and emotionally draining situations. We are all collectively grappling with a shift in our world.

Your feelings are valid. You are allowed to be angry, sad, hopeful, or optimistic.

If you are struggling with your mental health, contact the MSU counseling center or visit the Greene County Health Department’s mental health resources page.

]]>823Valentine’s Day in Springfieldhttps://blogs.missouristate.edu/mystatement/2020/02/13/valentines-day-in-springfield/?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed
Thu, 13 Feb 2020 17:55:00 +0000https://blogs.missouristate.edu/mystatement/?p=793Springfield is home to some of the most unique businesses and restaurants. I can always find something to do!

]]>Springfield is always more fun during a holiday, which makes me even more excited for Valentine’s Day! If you’re looking for date ideas for your valentine, or if you are looking for a fun night out with your friends to celebrate Galentine’s Day, here are my suggestions.

Places to go

Catching a movie at one of Springfield’s many movie theaters is always a classic date night. The closest theater to campus is Regal College Station. If you are willing to spend more money, I suggest checking out the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema for a true “dinner and a movie” date. Dinner is served directly to your seat!

Favorite eats

If you want to keep it cheap, Hurts Donuts is great to hang out at and they have some awesome Valentine’s Day specials like Glazed Hearts or Chocolate Covered Strawberry. Or check out the heart-shaped pizza at IMO’s!

A lot of popular chain restaurants do special deals on Valentine’s Day. Chick-Fil-A sells a 30-count nugget and 10-count Chick-n-Mini heart shaped trays. Additionally, Krispy Kreme sells Valentine’s donuts that look like candy hearts. But, my roommate and I always go to Qdoba for the “QDOBA for a Kiss” promotion they do on Valentine’s Day.

]]>793Eyes on the Prizehttps://blogs.missouristate.edu/mystatement/2020/02/09/eyes-on-the-prize/?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed
Mon, 10 Feb 2020 01:40:56 +0000https://blogs.missouristate.edu/mystatement/?p=748How to market yourself to a world that distrusts marketing - and other questions I haven't found the answer to yet

Unlike most of my team, I’m fresh meat here at MSU. I moved to campus last fall in 2019 to double major in marketing and chemistry.

I haven’t thought about chemistry since I dropped the major in early October. Instead, I spend my days running around like a chicken with my head cut off throughout Glass Hall.

What led me here?

My planner hardly has enough room for all the ink I fill it with. I’m used to this lifestyle. I began college coursework in the fall of my sophomore year of high school. I walked the aisle at Mineral Area College with my associate’s degree in hand a week before I did the same with my Farmington High School diploma. (Yes, I really am from a place called Farmington.)

College seemed impossible to imagine when I was younger. I grew up with a single mother, raising tigers in our off time. Once I reached middle school, I became my grandmother’s full-time caretaker. We believe that when she left us in the fall of 2017, she sent us a parting gift. My adopted brother Craig came into our lives.

Scholarships were the name of the game. If I wanted to go somewhere, I needed help. Luckily, some amazing people saw something in the hundreds of essays and worksheets I submitted. The experiences that followed were nothing short of unbelievable. I had the chance to travel the country with other bright scholars. Some modern legends let me pick their brains about how to navigate college.

I also looked back to my family for support. It would be impossible to count all the scholarship pieces I sent to my aunt Kathryn for review. She’s an independent author and editor, and a ’93 Missouri State graduate. I often hope that some of her bachelor’s in electronic media filtered through to me.

So why was I so scared to start here? Simple. I knew there was a bigger chance that I could fail.

Instead of retreating inward, I followed the advice of my mentor, Kim Rodriguez. I introduced myself, sat in the front row, and ate with people at lunch. My new place in the world was out there, and only I could find it.

Now, I’m interning with the university I love. I’m going out into the campus community to connect what students are doing in the world beyond Springfield.

Why the College of Business?

I’ve discovered that I enjoy marketing and economics. The global market plays a role in everything we do. The world changes every day, and even if we can’t keep up with it, we can study it. We can learn so much from watching the way that money and products impact our lives. Yet, the most important lesson to learn from these lectures is about our own nature.

I want to find success and financial stability the right way, as all these role models did. That’s why I put my all into my studies. This is my personal brand, as my marketing 350 instructor Carly Pierson would say. I run towards my goals until I can’t hear the terror behind me. I put everything I have into making my Missouri Statement.

]]>748The Life of a Bearhttps://blogs.missouristate.edu/mystatement/2020/02/04/the-life-of-a-bear/?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed
Wed, 05 Feb 2020 01:17:26 +0000https://blogs.missouristate.edu/mystatement/?p=719Who Am I? My name is Jordan Galkowski. I am a senior at Missouri State University studying marketing, advertising and promotions, and Spanish. I’ve never written a blog post before and I’ve always been somewhat uncomfortable writing about myself, so after going through a quasi-quarter life crisis, I decided to give it a shot! I’m […]

My name is Jordan Galkowski. I am a senior at Missouri State University studying marketing, advertising and promotions, and Spanish. I’ve never written a blog post before and I’ve always been somewhat uncomfortable writing about myself, so after going through a quasi-quarter life crisis, I decided to give it a shot!

I’m very dramatic if you couldn’t already tell. I enjoy spending my free time—the little that I have—going hiking, exercising, traveling, reading and spending time with friends. I am very adventurous. Taking risks and doing things outside of my comfort zone are things I enjoy doing frequently. I get bored easily, but when I am interested in something, I quickly become very passionate about it. I work really hard while going to school because I want to design a life that I am proud to live. I’ve always held myself to a high standard, so sometimes I can be a bit harsh on myself. Independent is an adjective that I like to use to describe myself. Asking for help is something I don’t do often. This can be a downfall at times because I tend to put too much on my plate at once. No matter the topic, I enjoy learning new things. I try to have a positive outlook on life because I think that life is too short to not be happy.

Life After Graduation

Saying the word ‘graduate’ makes me think of endings and endings are sad. After I finish my degree, I plan to travel for a few months before I settle down and start a career. Traveling is something that I am very passionate about because I want to see the world and experience the culture that it brings.

In my future, I hope to have a career in the marketing and advertising world where I can use both my knowledge and creativity in the workplace.

Hey! I’m Nicole Hellman, a freshman this year at Missouri State University.

I came to MSU from Bentonville, Arkansas to get my degree in digital film and television production and pursue my dream of becoming a videographer. I spent my senior year of high school in a professional studies program for video production and decided I wanted to turn it into a career.

I’m still not positive where exactly I want to take my degree once I graduate yet, but am eager to find that out over my next few years here at Missouri State.

While film is my biggest passion, music is right up there next to it. Sadly, no matter how hard I try, I am not musically inclined whatsoever, but spend a huge chunk of my time (and money… oops) going to concerts and seeing the bands that I love.

I saw my all-time favorite band, Hippo Campus, four times in 2019 and hope to beat that record this year in 2020. If you don’t find me at a concert, you can probably find me watching any Christopher Nolan movie (Interstellar is my personal favorite), bumpin’ around town in my Kia Soul, or spending time with my friends and family.

My time at Missouri State

I’m not going to lie to you. My first semester here at Missouri State was quite the adjustment, but for that I am very grateful. There is nowhere else I would have rather spent such a crucial time in my life.

My first semester included a lot of self-discovery and challenging myself. Throwing myself into a new city where I didn’t know anybody was difficult, but it allowed me to strengthen my self-confidence and really figure out who I am as an individual. Over just one semester, I have met some of my favorite people ever and have made some life-long friendships.

I am so beyond excited to be a social media intern for Missouri State this semester and cannot wait to take the beautiful, welcoming campus I see and share it with others. While my time here so far has been short, my love for MSU is so big and getting to share it in a creative, interactive way is a dream come true!

]]>718Creating connectionhttps://blogs.missouristate.edu/mystatement/2020/02/04/creating-connection/?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed
Tue, 04 Feb 2020 21:41:16 +0000https://blogs.missouristate.edu/mystatement/?p=720Social media brought opportunities and people into my life I may have never found on my own. What can it do for you?

Why am I really here? What’s my purpose? These are questions I have found myself pondering over during my time at Missouri State. Have I found the answers yet? Absolutely not. However, I have made some progress.

After a couple years of not being as involved as I could have been, I decided I wanted a change. Pursuing a Marketing Management degree had peaked my interest in advertising and social media. Becoming a part of an organization centered around this seemed really interesting.

However, I didn’t just want to be involved. I wanted to leave my mark, and I wanted to have a blast while I’m doing it. There was no better way to accomplish this than by joining MSU’s social media team. Facing new creative challenges while getting to meet and interact with my peers is all I could ask for in an internship.

Why social media?

To be completely honest, social media is not a field I used to see myself pursuing. There’s a part of me that thinks it’s oversaturated with advertisements and people pretending to be they’re something they’re not.

But after taking a step back and reflecting, that’s not what social media is at all. Social media allows you to share your ideas and passions with anyone at any place at any time. It creates relationships between people that otherwise may have never known each other. The possibilities are limitless; that’s what draws me to it.

My content

Other than the obvious (getting likes, views and followers), there are a couple simple things I hope to achieve with the content I share.

First, I want to show off our university. Missouri State is an awesome place, and I truly believe we have some of the best students, staff and classes around. I want nothing more than to convey that message to those already here and those thinking about coming.

Second, I hope to make you laugh. I know what you’re thinking. Yes, that means increasing the amount of Clif Smart content. If I get to make at least one video of President Smart doing something hilarious, I’ll be content. Overall, I want to share all the cool, inspiring and funny things going on at our university while getting to interact with as many of you as possible.

]]>720Making My Markhttps://blogs.missouristate.edu/mystatement/2020/02/04/making-my-mark/?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed
Tue, 04 Feb 2020 19:25:04 +0000https://blogs.missouristate.edu/mystatement/?p=708Can I Make a Difference? Throughout my four years at Missouri State University, I have completed countless assignments and group projects. As a marketing major, my professors often ask me over and over again to “create a cohesive marketing plan.” This means imagining working for a company and proposing a strategy that outlines how marketing […]

Throughout my four years at Missouri State University, I have completed countless assignments and group projects. As a marketing major, my professors often ask me over and over again to “create a cohesive marketing plan.” This means imagining working for a company and proposing a strategy that outlines how marketing can help them reach their goals.

From creating social media posts and billboards to proposing video ideas and radio ads, I have learned so much from the courses I have taken over the years. However, each project I have completed has just been for a grade. None of these ideas were ever actually put to the test by a real company.

I have created tons of content for different projects but am always left wondering , “Would this really work?” While a good grade on your transcript seems like proof of this at first, it becomes harder to believe as you think about future careers. How can you sell your skills to an employer, or believe in your own abilities when you have no evidence that your work made a difference?

For the first time, I am going to implement my ideas for the world to see. This semester I have accepted a position as a social media intern for Missouri State. I have the opportunity to use the tools I’ve learned from class in a real life job. I’m excited to not only gain experience and confidence in my field, but also to be working for a university that I love.

The Chance to Gain Experience

This opportunity has provided me with a chance to grow in many ways. It will give me a large platform to experiment with and discover how well my content performs. Working with the social media team will help me to learn new things that I can’t inside a classroom. I’m thrilled to meet new people, collaborate with them and expand my network.

From this experience, I’m hoping to gain confidence in executing the lessons I’ve learned in class. Maybe this internship will provide some insight to the questions all seniors seem to dread: Did I choose the right major? Am I talented enough to pursue a career in this field?

A School We Hold So Dear

Another big reason I’m excited to take on this job is that I’ll be working for a school I adore. As the daughter of two Missouri State alumni, I was practically raised to be a Bear. I’ve been sporting my BearWear since day one and am excited to finally make my mark at the school.

Missouri State has given me so many memories, friendships, and opportunities. I love the people and the campus, it truly feels like a home away from home. Being able to work with the university through this internship will make the job so much more fun.

Though beginning on a new adventure in your career can be nerve-racking, I am looking forward to all the opportunities it will bring. I’m proud to represent Missouri State University as I begin my journey in the marketing field.

]]>708Never underestimate a Jersey Girlhttps://blogs.missouristate.edu/mystatement/2020/02/04/never-underestimate-a-jersey-girl/?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed
Tue, 04 Feb 2020 17:39:46 +0000https://blogs.missouristate.edu/mystatement/?p=741“You’re from New Jersey? How in the world did you end up at Missouri State?”

]]>In fifth grade I promised myself I would play D1 field hockey in college. Fast forward to six years later, Missouri State University offered me a scholarship to do what I loved.

My freshman year of college was everything I dreamed it would be. I was playing for a D1 field hockey team! My life was perfect and I could not imagine it any differently.

April 3, 2017

Everything changed on April 3, 2017. Missouri State needed to make budget cuts, which resulted in the de-funding of the field hockey team. To say I was heartbroken is an understatement.

I was furious. I wanted to continue playing … but where? Rosters were set, scholarship money was divided up, transfer applications were even closed at some schools. I felt hopeless and left in May not knowing if I would return in the fall.

Unable to transfer to another team over the summer, I returned to Missouri State with a sour taste in my mouth my sophomore year. I hated Missouri State for what they did to me. Every day I called my family and said I wanted to go home. I didn’t know who I was without field hockey. Frustrated with my pity party, my mom told me I needed to change my mentality about Missouri State or I was going to waste my scholarship and my college experience.

A new passion

So, I took my mom’s advice and got involved. The first week back for spring semester, I found the professional business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi. Immediately, I found my home at Missouri State again. I no longer felt lost. My soon-to-be brothers and faculty alumni helped me pick a major I was actually passionate about, and it changed my life. I found my new passion: marketing. Finally, I found something I was good at besides field hockey.

By junior year, I had a home and different families in so many parts of campus. I interned with the Ice Bears and started my current job at the Plaster Student Union administrative office, where I work with amazing staff members. The Entertainment Management Association began taking up a lot of my time and I was even able to volunteer with them at the Super Bowl and Final Four. I also serve as a PINK Campus Rep (some of you may recognize me as one of the girls who pass out underwear on campus—LOL).

Nevertheless, she persisted

People ask me all the time how I could love Missouri State so much after everything that happened. I do still think about field hockey often. I miss something that had defined me for so many years. Even though the situation put a damper on my time at Missouri State, I am reminded of one my favorite quotes: “nevertheless, she persisted”.

Despite these setbacks, I made my Missouri Statement without field hockey. I found my true passion and my new family at Missouri State and met peers and faculty members that steered me in the right direction and genuinely care about me. I have reached heights that I never knew were possible for me. Heck, I am a social media intern for Missouri State University! This place is special and I am forever grateful to be a Bear. I hope Missouri State has learned one thing through having me as a student … and that’s to never underestimate a Jersey Girl.

]]>After three years of stomping the grounds at Missouri State, my time is coming to an end. I’ve had a great run, and it’s been a blast for sure. But, there was something always missing from my experience.

Being a journalism major, I’ve encountered all forms of media from film to newspaper, to blogs and radio broadcasts, but I only ever dabbled in social media in college classes on a few occasions. Social media is my favorite pastime.

I found myself creating Instagram highlight covers whenever I had a free chance while color-coordinating my own social feed. I downloaded schedulers for all my accounts, even though I really didn’t have much content to even publish for myself. I’d spend hours researching new tactics and scrolling through Instagram timelines when I should have been applying for jobs.

As graduation grew nearer and nearer, I began to wonder if I could really make social media a career for myself. Could my hobby be a real source of income after graduation? Could my words connect with others, and would people listen? As social media continues to change, there just weren’t many opportunities to run social media accounts for big entities, until I learned about Missouri State’s internship program. I applied as soon as I could and waited.

It probably wasn’t until two weeks after I got the acceptance letter that my future really sunk in. This was my time to really show off my skillset and everything I would do this fall semester through one last hurrah.

Who am I?

Throughout my college experience, I always struggled to find my identity. Was I the girl who would be the social butterfly at every outing? No. The introvert who struggled to make herself known? Not that either. The college I enjoyed so much was giving me the opportunity to leave a legacy on its social media while representing the university.

Flashback a year before, I was sitting in my home the summer before my junior year. I was jobless, and feeling completely down in the dumps about my professional career. If I couldn’t find a job now, what hope did that leave me after college?

It was then that I needed to start believing that I was valuable, even if the odds were against me. Even though I felt a lack of confidence, I began to advertise myself as the person who knew it all, who could do it all. I worked endlessly to expand my portfolio and add work examples. I spent nights researching anything and everything I could about social media.

A year later, and some rejections letters to show for it, I landed myself three internships, including my dream one at Missouri State, where I’ve already learned so much in these past few weeks. What I first considered only a hobby transformed into a major career decision for me, and one that will change the way I look at social media from now on.

Is social media really that important?

Social media is more than just teens posting pretty selfies of themselves and sharing memes (although memes are great). It’s a way to really interact with your audience and create a trusting connection between the user and content creator. A post can reach hundreds of thousands of users, maybe even millions, and with the right content, you can most definitely make an impact, like I’m doing now.

So, even though I only have one semester left and the weeks are dwindling by the minute, I’m considering the legacy I want to leave here. How do you want others to see you on social media? Your friends, your family, potential employers? The answer may not be clear, but I do know something.

Hi, my name is Madison Russell, social media intern for Missouri State University, and I am proud to be Bear.

]]>689A nonlinear path to graduationhttps://blogs.missouristate.edu/mystatement/2019/10/01/a-nonlinear-path-to-graduation/?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed
Tue, 01 Oct 2019 16:05:27 +0000https://blogs.missouristate.edu/mystatement/?p=686Not all paths are linear, but what matters is the end result.

]]>It’s funny. I always thought I would graduate in four years, having brought in a lot of credit from high school. “I may even graduate early,” I once thought. It did not take me long to figure out that the path to graduation—and life in general—is not linear.

Before I knew I would be a fifth year

Sometimes I reminisce on the early days of my college career and the summer before. I close my eyes and I’m at my high school graduation party.

All my neighbors, family and friends of family are there. My dad has my videos playing on the TV. Videos I had made from the time I was 11 to about the time I started high school. I had uploaded all of them to YouTube at some point, but later deleted them in fear of my classmates making fun of me.

It’s weird how things change, as this is now my go-to fun fact for icebreakers. More specifically, I tell people about how I got my start in the moviemaking world—Club Penguin. Yes, I used to use screen-recording software to record my penguin, Miley0897 (I loved Hannah Montana.) Miley0897 would waddle around town while “singing” the lyrics of whatever song I chose. The speech bubble was where I’d type the lyrics.

As I got older and grew bored of Club Penguin, I started making real-life videos with my friends. Some were music videos where I lip-synced to my favorite songs. Others were short films of the thriller and horror genres, in which I would guilt my dad into putting on a scary mask. At my graduation party, one of my neighbors asked me, “So what are you going to study?” In which I replied, “digital film production.”

I was pretty certain back then that I wanted to work on a film set. I wanted to be a part of creating big Hollywood films. It sounded like a dream. After all, I loved creating and I loved movies and analyzing them. At the time, it was the only thing I could see myself doing, and I refused to begin college as an undeclared major for some irrational reason.

The first bump in the road

It wasn’t until my sophomore year that I started questioning if my major was right for me. Did I actually see myself working on films in the future? During the time I was having these doubts, I had already worked on two films at Missouri State University. I was a production assistant on one and a camera operator on another. Although the people I worked with were great and I learned a lot, something was off. I did not have that feeling of passion that I expected to. Being on set was exciting at times, but it just wasn’t something I could see myself doing long-term. This was a big red flag.

Thanks to an afternoon in Mudhouse during my junior year, I was able to address the problem. My best friend Mary Self happened to work in the Academic Advisement Center at the time, so she helped talk me through my options. I decided to change my major to public relations.

So why public relations? Well, I had never even heard of the major until I met my friend Megan Hein and discovered that PR was her major. She always seemed like she was doing the coolest things. For instance, she managed social media for Chartwells at MSU. Is that not amazing? After graduating in May, she now does marketing for Chartwells at the University of Arkansas. Basically, Megan is my role model and I want to do cool things like her. After talking to her about PR, I was hooked. Social media has always been a big part of my life, so figuring out that I could potentially do it as a career was the final push.

Trusting my gut, that very next day I walked into University Hall and changed my major. It felt weird to change the only path I ever knew, but it was time.

From uncertainty to security

When I first changed my major, I was still worried if it was the right fit. I am currently on my second internship since being a part of my new program and I have this overwhelming, incredible feeling that I am in the right place. It is something I have never felt before. Although it took me two and a half years to figure it out and it will take an additional semester of college, I reached a milestone by feeling secure in my decision.

Like most college students, I still don’t know exactly what my future holds—besides being a super senior for one semester—but I am certain that being a social media intern for marketing and communications at Missouri State will bring me one step closer. Also, my principles of public relations course with Jerri Lynn Kyle will help me by delving deep into the world of PR. It is only the sixth week of class and I have already discovered that there are unlimited careers in the field. The best part is the field just continues to grow. I am so excited.

Every experience and connection at this university has led me to where I am now, and I cannot wait to show everyone how amazing Missouri State is through Instagram!